Car safety seat

Abstract

A rotatable safety seat assembly comprises an upper portion with a seat and a seat rotational element having a fixed connection to the seat such that it is rotatable together with seat about a seat rotational axis, a lower portion configured for being mounted to a passenger's seat of a car and having a central axis spaced from the seat rotational axis. The seat assembly further comprises a movement mechanism connected to the seat rotational element and operable to translate rotation of the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into movement of the seat rotational element along a circular trajectory around the central axis and vice versa. The assembly can further comprise a locking mechanism operable to selectively enable a first unlocked state in which the movement mechanism is operable to enable the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis of the lower portion while the locking mechanism prevents the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis, and a second unlocked state in which the seat with the seat rotational element is free to rotate about the seat rotational axis and the movement mechanism is operable to translate the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis and vice versa.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A rotatable car safety seat assembly, comprising:
 an upper portion comprising a seat having a frontmost point and configured for accommodating a child and a seat rotational element having a fixed connection to the seat, such that it is rotatable together with the seat about a seat rotational axis;   a lower portion configured for being mounted to a passenger's seat of a car having a longitudinal direction, the lower portion having a central axis spaced from the seat rotational axis; and   a movement mechanism connected to the seat rotational element and operable to translate rotation of the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into movement of the seat rotational element along a circular trajectory around the central axis, and vice versa; thereby ensuring that when the seat is caused by a user to turn, the seat together with the seat rotational element is eccentrically moved relative to the central axis, and is simultaneously rotated about the seat rotational axis thereby continuously changing a distance between the frontmost point of the seat and the central axis.   
     
     
         36 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein the seat has a default orientation in which a line connecting the central axis and the seat rotational axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the car, and a maximally turned orientation in which said line is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the car; and
 optionally, said distance is maximal when the seat reaches its maximally turned orientation.   
     
     
         37 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein said movement mechanism is operable to translate clockwise rotation of the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into counterclockwise movement of the seat rotational element along said circular trajectory around the central axis, and vice versa. 
     
     
         38 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein at least a part of said movement mechanism is located between the seat rotational axis and the central axis. 
     
     
         39 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein said lower portion comprises a cavity accommodating at least a part of said movement mechanism;
 and optionally, said cavity accommodates at least a part of said seat rotational element.   
     
     
         40 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein said movement mechanism is operable so that a user can cause the seat to turn by manually pulling the seat. 
     
     
         41 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises at least one rotatable element; and
 optionally, said seat rotational element and said movement mechanism form a gear assembly.   
     
     
         42 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 41 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises at least two rotatable elements comprising a central gear having its axis coinciding with the central axis and a fixed position to the lower portion at least when the movement mechanism is operable, and an intermediate gear rotatably engaging with each of the central gear and the seat rotational element. 
     
     
         43 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises a peripheral ring having its axis coinciding with the central axis and a fixed position to the lower portion at least when the movement mechanism is operable, the peripheral ring being formed with inner cogs that mesh with outer side of the seat rotational element; and
 optionally, said movement mechanism comprises a central wheel having its axis coinciding with the central axis and a fixed position to the lower portion at least when the movement mechanism is operable, and a belt connecting between the seat rotational element and the central wheel such that rotating the seat with seat rotational element eccentrically relative to the central axis causes the belt to move and affect the rotation of the seat rotational element and the seat about the seat rotational axis.   
     
     
         44 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , further comprising a soft locking mechanism operable to stabilize the seat at predefined orientation angles along the circular trajectory, while the seat is rotated. 
     
     
         45 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 35 , further comprising a locking mechanism operable to immobilize the seat with the seat rotational element to the lower portion, the locking mechanism being configured to at least unlock the seat rotational element from the lower portion and enable rotation of the seat with the seat rotational element relative to the lower portion;
 optionally, the locking mechanism is operable to selectively enable:
 a first unlocked state in which the movement mechanism is operable to enable the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis of the lower portion while the locking mechanism prevents the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis, and 
 a second unlocked state in which the seat with the seat rotational element is free to rotate about the seat rotational axis and the movement mechanism is operable to translate the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis and vice versa; 
   optionally the locking mechanism is configured to enable rotation of the seat with the seat rotational element relative to the lower portion in one direction at a time while preventing the rotation of the seat with the seat rotational element relative to the lower portion in the opposite direction; and   optionally said locking mechanism comprises a ratchet assembly.   
     
     
         46 . A rotatable car safety seat assembly, comprising:
 an upper portion comprising a seat configured for accommodating a child;   a lower portion configured for being mounted to a passenger's seat of the car;   a movement mechanism operable to enable rotation of the upper portion relative to the lower portion; and   a locking mechanism operable to selectively immobilize the upper portion to the lower portion, the locking mechanism being configured to unlock the seat from the lower portion and enable rotation of the seat relative to the lower portion in one direction at a time while preventing the rotation of the seat relative to the lower portion in the opposite direction.   
     
     
         47 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 46 , wherein said locking mechanism comprises right and left handle arms operable to lock the seat to the lower portion, the handle arms being terminated with release buttons located respectively at the right and left sides of the seat, pressing the respective release button releases the seat from the lower portion and enables the rotation of the seat in the respective direction by manually pulling the seat in the respective side; and
 optionally each of the right and left handle arms engages at its lower side with at least one depression formed in a way such that the seat is locked to the lower portion in the respective direction while being free to slide relative to the lower portion in the opposite direction once the other handle arm is released.   
     
     
         48 . A rotatable car safety seat assembly, comprising:
 an upper portion comprising a seat having a frontmost point and configured for accommodating a child and a seat rotational element fixedly connected to the seat so as to be able to rotate therewith about a seat rotational axis;   a lower portion configured for being mounted to a passenger's seat of the car and having a central rotational axis spaced from the seat rotational axis and located on a longitudinal axis of the lower portion;   a movement mechanism operably connected to the seat rotational element and to the lower portion and operable to enable any of a rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis and a rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis; and   a locking mechanism configured to at least indirectly lock the movement mechanism and operable to selectively enable:
 a first unlocked state in which the movement mechanism is operable to enable the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis of the lower portion while the locking mechanism prevents the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis, so that the frontmost point of the seat is maintained at a first distance from the central axis of the lower portion, and 
 a second unlocked state in which the seat with the seat rotational element is free to rotate at least about the seat rotational axis so as to bring the frontmost point of the seat into at least one position in which it is spaced from the central axis of the lower portion to a second distance greater than the first distance. 
   
     
     
         49 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises a rotatable unit having a unit rotational axis aligned with the central rotational axis, said locking mechanism being operable to lock the rotatable unit to prevent its rotation relative to the lower portion in said second unlocked state and to unlock the rotatable unit from the lower portion in said first unlocked state;
 optionally, said locking mechanism comprises right and left handle arms configured to lock the rotatable unit to the upper portion, the handle arms being terminated with release buttons located respectively at the right and left sides of the seat, pressing the respective release button releases the upper portion from the rotatable element and enables the rotation of the seat with the seat rotational element both about the central rotational axis and about the seat rotational axis by pulling the seat; and   optionally, each of the right and left handle arms engages at its lower side with at least one depression formed in the rotatable unit in a way such that the upper portion is locked to the rotatable unit in the respective direction while being free to slide relative to the rotatable unit in the opposite direction once the other handle arm is released.   
     
     
         50 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein said locking mechanism comprises at least one lever arm configured to lock the rotatable unit to the lower portion, the lever arm being terminated with a switch button located at the lower portion, pressing the switch button releases the rotatable unit from the lower portion and enables the rotation of the upper portion together with the rotatable unit about the central rotational axis of the lower portion;
 optionally, said at least one lever arm comprises right and left lever arms being terminated with right and left switch buttons respectively, pressing the respective switch button enables the rotation of the upper portion about the central rotational axis to the respective side only; and   optionally, each of the right and left lever arms engages at its inner side with at least one tooth formed in the rotatable unit in a way such that the rotatable unit is locked to the lower portion in the respective direction while being free to rotate about the central rotational axis in the opposite direction once the other lever arm is released.   
     
     
         51 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises a gear assembly; and
 optionally, said gear assembly comprises a rotatable unit, said seat rotational element and a transition gear connected between the rotatable unit and the seat rotational element, such that in the second unlocked state rotating the seat with the seat rotational element clockwise about the central rotational axis results in rotating the seat with the seat rotational element counterclockwise about the seat rotational axis and vice versa.   
     
     
         52 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein said movement mechanism is at least partially hidden inside a cavity formed in the lower portion. 
     
     
         53 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , further comprising a soft locking mechanism operable to stabilize the seat at predefined orientation angles, while the seat is rotated, relative to a longitudinal axis of the lower portion. 
     
     
         54 . The rotatable car safety seat assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein the movement mechanism is operable to at least one of the following:
 translate the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the seat rotational axis into the rotational movement of the seat with the seat rotational element about the central rotational axis and vice versa; and   bring the seat into said position in the second unlocked state so that said frontmost point is located at a lateral distance from the longitudinal axis of the lower portion greater than that in the first unlocked state.